1. Field of the Invention
In such sectors as the aeronautics industry it is often necessary to construct processes for mechanizing or riveting components that in many cases have very large surface areas and come in a variety of shapes, which considerably complicates the handling and firm securing of such components during the working phase, thus requiring the use of rigid attachments for each component, and thereby entailing a sizeable investment in such attachments.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A prior art solution to the problem of supporting curved or spherical components to be mechanized or riveted is to use support columns whose free ends are equipped with double hinge joints and air valves, so that the points of support for the components to be mechanized or riveted are determined by selectively positioning the free ends in terms of height and in an "X" and "Y" direction on the columns, thereby operating like a multi-flexible machine or tool which changes its shape according to the component program and by means of a computer that controls the drive motors. This is the case of Applicant's Spanish Patent No. P-9100894 and Spanish Utility Model No. U-9101588.
In all known prior art solutions the columnar supports are arranged on straight guides that restrict the angle of curvature.
The aeronautics industry requires flexible machines and tools that have a greater angle of curvature of up to 180.degree. or more, particularly in regard to the most recent generation of riveters that are able to join several fuselage panels forming a 180.degree. arc. To do so it is necessary for the support columns to move, not on straight guides, but on guides that are circular in shape, such that the points of support can be positioned anywhere over the arced surface without any restrictions or dead zones.